St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-06-25


Christian city.
How many are waiting for you to
come out in the spirit of the Lord Jesus
Christ and rescue them from the
wretchedness here! Oh that the Church
of God had arms long enough and hearts
warm enough to take them up! How
MANY of them there are! AS l was
thinking of the subject this morning, it
seemed to me as though there was q
great brink, and that these little ones
with cut and torn feet were coming on
toward it. And there is a group of Or
phans. O, fathers and mothers, what do
YOU think of these fatherless and mother
less little ones? No hand at home to
take care of their apparel, no heart to
pity them. Said one little one, when the
mother died: "Who will take care of my
clothes now?" The little ones are thrown
out in this great, cold world. They are
shivering on the brink like lambs on the
verge of a precipice. Does not your
blood run cold as they go over it?
And here is another group that come
on toward the precipice. They are the
children of besotted parents They are
worse off than orphans. Look at that
pale cheek; woe bleached it. Look at
that cash across the forehead the father
struck it. Hear that heart-piercing cry;
a drunken mothers blasphemy compelled
it. And we come out and we say 80 We
suffering, peeled and blistered ones, we
come to help you" "Too later cry
thousands of voices. 1.-THE path we travel
is steep down, and we can't stop. Too
later' And we catch our breath and we
make terrific outcry. "Tao late!' is
echoed from the garnet to the cellar, from
the gin-shop and from the brothel. TOO
late" 1t is too late, and they go over.
Here is another group, an army OF
neglected children. They come on toward
the brink, and every time they step ten
thousand hearts break. The ground is
red with the blood of their feet. The
air is heavy with their groans. Their
ranks are being filled up from all the
houses of iniquity and shame. Skeleton
Despair pushes them on toward the
brink. The death knell has already be-
gun to toll, and the angels Of God hover
like birds over the plunge of cataract.
While these children are on the brink
they halt, and throw out their hands, and
cry: "Help! helpp' O Church of God,
will you help? Men and women bought
BY the blood of the Son of God, will
you help while Christ cries from the
Heavens "Save them from going down;
I am the ransom"
I stopped on the street and just looked
at the face of one of those little ones.
Haveyou ever examined the faces of the
neglected children of the poor? Other
children have gladness in their faces.
When group of them rush across the
road, it seems as though spring gust
had unloosened an orchard of apple
/ p,,& oh 6rnf1 0f
poor. There is but little ring in their
laughter, and it stops quick, as though
some bitter memory tipped it. They
have an old walk. They 10 not skip or
run up on the lumber just for the pleasure
of leaping down. They never bathed in
the mountain stream. They never
waded in the brook for pebbles. They
never chased the butterfly across the
lawn, putting their hat right down
where it was just before. Childhood
has been dashed out of them. Want
waved it's wizard wand above the manger
of their birth, and withered leaves are
| lying where God intended a budding
giant ofbattle.. Once in while one of
these children gets out. Here is one,
for instance. At ten years of age he is
sent out by his parents, who say to him:
Here is basket now 60 off and beg
and steal" The boy says: Il can't
steal" They kick him into corner
That night he puts his swollen head
into the straw; but voice comes from
Heaven, saying: Courage, poor boy,
couragew Covering up his head from
the bestiality, and stopping his ears
from the cursing, he gets on up better
and better He washed his face clean
at the public hydrant. With q few
pennies got at running errands, he gets
better coat. Rough men, knowing that
he comes from low street, say: Back
with you, you little villain, to the place
where you came FROM" But that night
the boy says: ''God help me, can't go
back" and quicker than ever mother
few at the cry of a child's pain the
Lord responds from the Heavens: "Cour-
age, poor boy, couragep His bright
face gets him position. After a while
he is second clerk. Years pass on, and
he is first clerk. Years pass ON. The
glory of young manhood is on him. He
comes into the firm. He goes on from
one business success to another. He has
achieved great fortune. He is the friend
of the Church of God, the friend of all
good institutions, and one day he stands
talking to the Board of Trade, or
to the Chamber of Commerce. People
say, do you know who that is? Why,
that is merchant prince, and he was
born on Elm street" But God says in
regard to him something better than that:
t'These are they which came out of great
tribulation, and had their robes washed
and made white in the blood of the
Lamb" o, for some one to write the
history of boy heroes and girl heroines
who have triumphed over want and
starvation, and filth and rags! Yes, the
record has already been made-made by
the hand of God; and when these shall
come at last with songs and rejoicing, it
will take very broad banner to hold the
names of all the battle-felds on which
they got the victory.
Some years ago roughly-clad, ragged
boy came into my brothers office in
New York, and said: "Mr. Talmage, lend
me five dollars" My brother said:
"Who are your" The boy replied: Il
am nobody; lend me five dollars"
"What do you want to do with five
dollars ?" "Well," the boy replied, my
mother is sick and poor, and want to
go into the newspaper business; and I
shall get home for her, and will pay
you back" Ny brother gave him the
five dollars, of course never expecting to
see It again; but he said: "When will